Face mask hoax: Teach children how to spot fake news

Wearing face masks could help prevent people from contracting and spreading the coronavirus. However, anti-maskers are going around Facebook, sharing a bogus letter from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about N95 respirator masks.

As parents, we want to teach our children when to believe the news that they see on social media. They must know which news is true and useful and which one should be discarded. Here are some ways to teach children how to spot fake news.

Spotting fake news

Using the bogus letter sent by the CDC as an example, let us take note of the signs showing that it is not legit.

(Photo : Twitter/@ScottGr69626690)

Hard to read

Notice the format used by whoever wrote the fake letter. It is hard to read since sentences and paragraphs are jammed together.

See also: Coronavirus: Why babies shouldn't wear face masks and how to protect them?

Typographical error

Read the article, and you will find many typographical errors. Legit news from a reputable organization would not send out erratic messages. Check out the letter, and you will even see the double spacing between words, which is a good sign that it is delivering fake news.

Wrong grammar

From Texas A&M School of Medicine, Dr. Jason McKnight explained to KTBX why the document is fake. He said that apart from having vague terms, the content has a lot of grammar issues. Other than that, there are many misspelled words.

So why is it mandatory to wear a mask when the CDC says not to? pic.twitter.com/KSOOiIetbT — Scott Green (@ScottGr69626690) July 17, 2020

Filled with falsehoods

McKnight noted false information about masks. The letter reads that masks are said to be useless after 20 to 30 minutes and are only meant for sterile places. He said that masks can be worn way longer than 30 minutes and can be used outside of operating rooms.

See also: Cloth Mask: Effective Against COVID-19 Based on Studies

The CDC spoke about the fake letter too. An agency spokesperson told The Daily Beast that CDC does not issue advice and guidance in that format. It also noted about not doing printed notices to the public.

The spokesperson added that CDC distributes guidance and recommendations on the agency's website, news media, and officials' social media accounts.

CDC's guidelines on face masks

The CDC's website reads that people should wear face masks, which are proven safe and effective. It says that people should wear face coverings when out in public to reduce the coronavirus spread. It will especially be helpful when social distancing is hard to maintain.

See also: Use of Face Mask Significantly Dropped Coronavirus Cases [Study Proves]

A fake CDC letter could cause harm in people now that a deadly virus is rampant. People who believed and followed the letter could contract the virus and spread it further. It is the reason why people should spot and take down fake documents and conspiracies. 

More ill people and longer lockdown

If more people believe such kinds of news, more will get sick, and the longer we will have to be in lockdown. If you see fake news, tell the poster to remove it or report it to moderators to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.